Public Comment

All the brouhaha over Russia’s alleged leak of a tapped phone conversation between America’s top diplomat and a US State Department official has more than a touch of irony. While our National Security Agency have their electronic spooks in every corner of the world taping emails, phone conversations which has outraged many of our more ‘cherished’ allies, we feign outrage that the naughty Russians may have been listening to our diplomatic communiques.

The leak caused a new low in the escalating diplomatic relationship between Moscow and Washington. Lately, Russia has been offering loan incentives and cheap gas to Ukraine to discourage it from moving into the tight embrace of the European Union. The loss of Ukraine would be a mortal blow to Russia who have been anxious to resurrect the ‘glorious days’ of the former USSR. The leaked recording posted on You-Tube captured a conversation between US Assistant of State, Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt. Towards the end of the conversation Pyatt suggested enlisting the help of the UN and the EU in a mediation role in the creation of a new Ukrainian coalition government. It was then that an exasperated Nuland launched her F-bomb and said “f- the EU.” Needless, to say the less than diplomatic exchange generated outrage. In the interest of fairness and reciprocity, it would be wise to remember, “Don’t do onto others what you would not wish to be done to you.”